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| 'I've killed him,' said skydiver after collision with friend, inquest hears | 'I've killed him,' said skydiver after collision with friend, inquest hears |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A skydiver who survived a mid-air collision that caused the death of one of the country's leading wine merchants shouted: "I've killed him" as he lay injured, an inquest has heard. | A skydiver who survived a mid-air collision that caused the death of one of the country's leading wine merchants shouted: "I've killed him" as he lay injured, an inquest has heard. |
| Patrick Sandeman died after a jump at Sibson Aerodrome, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in September. He had collided with fellow skydiver Matt Le Berre on the approach to the landing zone, an inquest at Lawrence court, Huntingdon, heard on Thursday. | Patrick Sandeman died after a jump at Sibson Aerodrome, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in September. He had collided with fellow skydiver Matt Le Berre on the approach to the landing zone, an inquest at Lawrence court, Huntingdon, heard on Thursday. |
| As fellow skydivers and paramedics fought to save Sandeman's life, Le Berre was heard screaming in pain. | As fellow skydivers and paramedics fought to save Sandeman's life, Le Berre was heard screaming in pain. |
| Jump-master Michael Wilson-Roberts rushed to help both men within seconds of them hitting the ground. He said: "Matt was shouting: 'It's my fault, my friend, my friend, I've killed him.' He was also muttering in French. | Jump-master Michael Wilson-Roberts rushed to help both men within seconds of them hitting the ground. He said: "Matt was shouting: 'It's my fault, my friend, my friend, I've killed him.' He was also muttering in French. |
| "I can't say he was completely lucid. He was in a bad way and may not have been aware what he was saying but I can't deny what I heard." | "I can't say he was completely lucid. He was in a bad way and may not have been aware what he was saying but I can't deny what I heard." |
| Sandeman, of Putney, south-west London, who suffered injuries to his head, ribs and pelvis, was pronounced dead at the scene. The 53-year-old, who had completed 677 previous jumps, was a partner in Lea & Sandeman, the fine wine merchants, and was described after his death as "a total ornament to the British wine trade". | Sandeman, of Putney, south-west London, who suffered injuries to his head, ribs and pelvis, was pronounced dead at the scene. The 53-year-old, who had completed 677 previous jumps, was a partner in Lea & Sandeman, the fine wine merchants, and was described after his death as "a total ornament to the British wine trade". |
| The inquest heard that on 22 September, Le Berre and Sandeman had jumped from the same plane. The airfield was busy that day and there was little wind. | The inquest heard that on 22 September, Le Berre and Sandeman had jumped from the same plane. The airfield was busy that day and there was little wind. |
| Their jumps were staggered for safety reasons with Le Berre jumping as part of the first group of nine and Sandeman part of a second group of four. | Their jumps were staggered for safety reasons with Le Berre jumping as part of the first group of nine and Sandeman part of a second group of four. |
| Both left the plane at about 14,000ft (4,267 metres), reaching speeds of up to 200mph (322kph) in freefall before deploying their parachutes between 5,000ft and 2,500ft. | Both left the plane at about 14,000ft (4,267 metres), reaching speeds of up to 200mph (322kph) in freefall before deploying their parachutes between 5,000ft and 2,500ft. |
| Giving evidence, Le Berre, who had completed 488 jumps, said he was slowing after performing an advanced "swooping" manoeuvre, involving a sudden turn and increase in speed, when he saw Sandeman below him. | Giving evidence, Le Berre, who had completed 488 jumps, said he was slowing after performing an advanced "swooping" manoeuvre, involving a sudden turn and increase in speed, when he saw Sandeman below him. |
| Programmer Le Berre, 28, originally from France but residing in London, said he remembered pulling on his brakes but could not prevent his knees hitting Sandeman's canopy and tangling their parachute lines. | Programmer Le Berre, 28, originally from France but residing in London, said he remembered pulling on his brakes but could not prevent his knees hitting Sandeman's canopy and tangling their parachute lines. |
| Wilson-Roberts told the inquest that swooping turns created unpredictable landing patterns and made it more difficult for skydivers to predict one another's movements. | Wilson-Roberts told the inquest that swooping turns created unpredictable landing patterns and made it more difficult for skydivers to predict one another's movements. |
| He was part of Sandeman's group and captured a video of the jump using a head camera. It showed the early stages of the jump unfolding uneventfully before the camera lost sight of Sandeman. | He was part of Sandeman's group and captured a video of the jump using a head camera. It showed the early stages of the jump unfolding uneventfully before the camera lost sight of Sandeman. |
| Sandeman's wife and son left the inquest while the footage was being shown. "It was only when I landed and was alerted by my wife that I found out they had collided," Wilson-Roberts said. "When I arrived at the accident scene, Pat was laying there completely silent and Matt on his side facing him. It was quickly established that Pat wasn't alive and we needed to do CPR." | Sandeman's wife and son left the inquest while the footage was being shown. "It was only when I landed and was alerted by my wife that I found out they had collided," Wilson-Roberts said. "When I arrived at the accident scene, Pat was laying there completely silent and Matt on his side facing him. It was quickly established that Pat wasn't alive and we needed to do CPR." |
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